Statistical information compiled by the Hands of the Cause of God residing in the Holy Land regarding the Baha'i Faith and its growth. Shoghi Effendi used to gather and publish such statistical data. One can see exactly where the Faith stood at that time.

Notes:

This book is also available as a PDF document of image scans[8MB]. Although it is apparently an error, the dates listed in the left-hand column on page 123 appeared in the printed copy.

Commencement of the construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of 'Ishqábád

November 28, 1902

Release of 'Abdu'l-Bahá from His incarceration

September, 1908

Interment of the Báb's remains on Mt. Carmel

March 21, 1909

Opening of the first American Bahá'í Convention

March 21, 1909

'Abdu'l-Bahá's departure for Egypt

September, 1910

'Abdu'l-Bahá's arrival in London

September 4, 1911

'Abdu'l-Bahá's arrival in America

April 11, 1912

Laying of the cornerstone of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette, Illinois, by 'Abdu'l-Bahá

May 1, 1912

'Abdu'l-Bahá's return to the Holy Land

December 5, 1913

Unveiling of the Tablets of the Divine Plan

April, 1919

Commencement of the construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette, Illinois

December, 1920

Passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá-

November 28, 1921

Verdict of the Muhammadan Court in Egypt pronouncing the Faith to be an independent religion

May 10, 1925

Martha Root's first interview with Queen Marie of Rumania

January 30, 1926

Resolution of the Council of the League of Nations upholding the claim of the Bahá'í Community to the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád

March 4, 1929

Passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf

July, 1932

Inception of the First American Seven Year Plan

April, 1937

+P6

Completion of the exterior ornamentation of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette, Illinois

1943

Centenary celebration of the founding of the Bahá'í Faith and the opening of the first All-American Bahá'í Convention

May 23, 1944

Inception of the Second American Seven Year Plan

1946

Commencement of the construction of the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel

March 21, 1949

Completion of the Arcade and Parapet of the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel

July 9, 1950

Commemoration of the Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb

July 9, 1950

Completion of the Octagon of the Shrine of the Báb

March, 1952

Completion of interior ornamentation of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette, Illinois

October, 1952

Inauguration of the Centenary celebrations of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh's prophetic Mission

October, 1952

Placing of the fragment of plaster from the Báb's prison cell in Máh-kú in the Dome of the Shrine of the Báb by Shoghi Effendi

April 29, 1953

Dedication to Public Worship of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette, Illinois

May 2, 1953

Inception of the Ten Year Bahá'í Teaching and Consolidation Plan

May 3, 1953

Completion of the Superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel

October, 1953

Commencement of the construction of the International Bahá'í Archives Building on Mt. Carmel

July, 1955

Completion of the International Bahá'í Archives Building on Mt. Carmel

September, 1957

Commencement of the construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Kampala, Uganda

October,1957

Commencement of the construction of the Mashriqu'l'Adhkár in Sydney, Australia

November,

Passing of Shoghi Effendi

November 4, 1957

Laying of the cornerstone of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Kampala, Uganda

January 26, 1958

Laying of the cornerstone of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Sydney, Australia

March 22, 1958

Laying of the cornerstone of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Frankfurt, Germany

November 20, 1960

Commencement of the construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Frankfurt, Germany

December, 1960

Dedication to Public Worship of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Kampala, Uganda

January 15, 1961

Dedication to Public Worship of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Sydney, Australia

September 16, 1961

Completion of the Superstructure of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Frankfurt, Germany

November, 1962

+P7

ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER THE TEN YEAR INTERNATIONAL
BAHÁ'Í TEACHING AND CONSOLIDATION PLAN

1. Adoption of preliminary measures for the construction of Bahá'u'lláh's Sepulchre in the Holy Land through the purification and embellishment of the Haram-i-Aqdas by Shoghi Effendi.

2. The number of countries within the pale of the Faith has been more than doubled through the opening of:

43 in the Asiatic Continent
37 in the African Continent
21 in the European Continent
30 in the American Continent

3. The number of languages into which Bahá'í literature has been translated and printed has been more than tripled through the addition of:

90 languages in the Asiatic Continent
82 in the African Continent
11 in the European Continent
37 in the American Continent

4. The number of Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs has been more than doubled through the completion of:

The first Bahá'í Temple in Africa,
The first Bahá'í Temple in Australasia
The superstructure of the first Bahá'í Temple in Europe

5. Acquisition of the site for the future Mashriqu'l-Adhkár on Mt. Carmel.

6. Completion of the first dependency of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette, Illinois.

7. The original goal of purchasing eleven sites for future Temples has been more than quadrupled through the acquisition of:

23 in the American Continent
5 in the African Continent
9 in the Asiatic Continent
8 in the European Continent
1 in Australasia

8. Development of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause through additional appointments, through characterising them "the Chief Stewards of Bahá'u'lláh's embryonic World Commonwealth", and through the appointment of Auxiliary Boards for teaching and protection of the Faith.

9. Substantial extension of the International Bahá'í Endowments in the Holy Land, in the Plain of 'Akká and on the slopes of Mt. Carmel.

10. Completion of the International Bahá'í Archives in the neighbourhood of the Báb's Sepulchre on Mt. Carmel.

11. Preliminary measures have been undertaken for the ultimate construction of the tomb of the Wife of the Báb in Shíráz.

12. Reburial of the Father of Bahá'u'lláh in the vicinity of the Most Great House.

13. Purchase of the site of the Síyáh-Chál in Tihrán, and the Fortress of Chihríq.

+P8

14. National Spiritual Assemblies have been more than quadrupled through the formation of:

22 in the American Continent
13 in the European Continent
8 in the Asiatic Continent
3 in the African Continent
1 in Australasia

15. Seven-fold increase in the number of National Hazíratu'l-Quds:

22 in the American Continent
14 in the European Continent
9 in the Asiatic Continent
3 in the African Continent
1 in Australasia

16. National constitutions have been framed and national Bahá'í endowments
established by all the National Assemblies constituted during the Ten Year
Plan.

17. The number of incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies has been more
than quadrupled through the addition of:

20 in the American Continent
7 in the European Continent
5 in the Asiatic Continent
1 in the African Continent
1 in Australasia

18. Seven new Bahá'í Publishing Trusts have been established:

3 in the American Continent
2 in the Asiatic Continent
1 in the African Continent
1 in the European Continent

19. Participation by the women of Persia in the membership of National and
Local Assemblies.

20. Establishment of seven Israel Branches of National Spiritual Assemblies:

1 Europe
2 Asia
2 America
2 Australasia

21. Ties binding the Bahá'í World Community to the United Nations have been
greatly reinforced.

22. Four out of the ten Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which
were to be included, circumstances permitting, in the orbit of the Administrative
Order of the Faith, have now been added.

23. A World Bahá'í Congress will be held in the Royal Albert Hall, London, on
the occasion of the world-wide celebrations of the Most Great Jubilee, commemorating
the Centenary of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh to the throne of
His sovereignty.
+P9

1. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of the United States
2. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles
3. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Germany and Austria
4. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt and Súdán
5. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of 'Iráq
6. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of India, Pákistán and Burma
7. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Persia
8. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia and New Zealand
9. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada
10. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of Central America
11. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South America
12. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Italy and Switzerland

* These were the twelve National Spiritual Assemblies entrusted with the execution
of the Ten Year Plan.
+P23

BAHÁ'Í NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
1963

1. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of the British Isles
2. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Germany
3. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India
4. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States
5. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of 'Iráq
6. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia
7. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of Persia
8. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada
9. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of Central and East Africa
10. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of North East Africa
11. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North West Africa
12. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of South and West Africa
13. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Alaska
14. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Arabia
15. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of New Zealand
16. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North East Asia
17. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Pákistán
18. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South East Asia
19. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of France
20. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Austria
21. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Burma
22. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the South Pacific Islands
23. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Turkey
24. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Argentina
25. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Bolivia
26. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Brazil
27. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Chile
28. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Colombia
29. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í's of Costa Rica
30. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Cuba
31. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Dominican Republic
32. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Ecuador
33. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of El Salvador
34. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Guatemala
35. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Haiti
36. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Honduras
37. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Jamaica
38. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Mexico
39. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Nicaragua
40. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Panama
41. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Paraguay
42. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Peru
43. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Uruguay
44. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Venezuela
45. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Belgium
46. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Ceylon
47. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Denmark

+P24

48. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Finland

1962

49. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Holland

1962

50. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Italy

1962

51. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Luxembourg

1962

52. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Norway

1962

53. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Portugal

1962

54. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Spain

1962

55. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Sweden

1962

56. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Switzerland

1962

+P25

TERRITORIES REPRESENTED BY THE REGIONAL
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES*

* Names of territories are those at the time of the formation of the Regional National Assemblies.

+P26

SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS

Cook Is.
Fiji
Gilbert & Ellice Is.
Loyalty Is.

Marshall Is.
New Caledonia
New Hebrides Is.
Samoa Is.

Solomon Is.
Tonga Is.

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES WHICH
HAVE ESTABLISHED BRANCHES IN ISRAEL

1. Alaska

4. Canada

7. Pákistán

2. Australia

5. India

8. Persia

3. British Isles

6. New Zealand

9. United States

BAHÁ'Í NATIONAL ADMINSTRATIVE HEADQUARTERS(Hazíratu'l-Quds) in East and West

1. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Alaska, Anchorage
2. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Arabia, Bahrayn
3. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Argentina, Buenos Aires
4. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Australia, Sydney
5. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Austria, Vienna
6. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Belgium, Brussells
7. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Bolivia, La Paz
8. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
9. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles, London
10. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Burma, Rangoon
11. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Canada, Toronto
12. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Central and East Africa, Kampala, Uganda
13. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Ceylon, Colombo
14. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Chile, Santiago
15. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Colombia, Bogotá
16. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Costa Rica, San José
17. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Cuba, Havana
18. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Denmark, Copenhagen
19. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo (Ciudad Trujillo)
20. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Ecuador, Quito
21. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of El Salvador, San Salvador
22. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Finland, Helsinki
23. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of France, Paris
24. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Germany, Frankfurt A/M
25. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Guatemala, Guatemala City
26. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Haiti, Port-au-Prince
27. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Holland, The Hague
28. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Honduras, Tegucigalpa
29. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of India, New Delhi
30. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of 'Iráq, Baghdád
31. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Italy, Rome
32. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Jamaica, Kingston

+P27

33. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Ville
34. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Mexico, Mexico City
35. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of New Zealand, Auckland
36. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Nicaragua, Managua
37. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of North East Africa, Cairo, Egypt
38. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of North East Asia, Tokyo, Japan
39. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of North West Africa, Tunis, Tunisia
40. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Norway, Oslo
41. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Pákistán, Karachi
42. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Panama, Panama
43. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Paraguay, Asunción
44. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Persia, Tihrán
45. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Peru, Lima
46. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Portugal, Lisbon
47. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of South and West Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
48. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of South East Asia, Djakarta, Indonesia
49. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of the South Pacific Islands, Suva, Fiji
50. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Spain, Madrid
51. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Sweden, Stockholm
52. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Switzerland, Bern
53. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Turkey, Istanbul
54. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of the United States, Wilmette, Illinois
55. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Uruguay, Montevideo
56. Hazíratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Venezuela, Caracas

BAHÁ'Í NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES WHICH
HAVE ESTABLISHED NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS

DATA CONCERNING IMPORTANT NATIONAL
AND INTERNATIONAL BAHÁ'Í ENDOWMENTS

Total cost of the construction of the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel

$750,000.00

Total cost of the construction of the International Bahá'í Archives building on Mt. Carmel

$310,000.00

Total cost of the construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette, Illinois

$3,212,517.60

Total cost of the Bahá'í Home for the Aged in Wilmette, Illinois

$308,500.00

Total cost of the construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Kampala, Uganda

£60,875

Total cost of the construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Sydney, Australia

£A220,030

Cost of the superstructure of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Frankfurt, Germany

$690,000.00

Area of land purchased as the site of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár on Mt. Carmel

35,700 sq. metres

Area of land purchased as the site of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of Persia

3,819,000 sq. metres

Estimated value of sites purchased for future Bahá'í Temples

$350,000.00

Estimated value of Bahá'í National Hazíratu'l-Quds

$1,800,000.00

Estimated value of Bahá'í National Endowments

$10,500,000.00

Estimated value of Bahá'í Local Endowments throughout the world

$3,000,000.00

Estimated value of Bahá'í National Endowments in the United States of America

$5,119,100.00

Estimated value of Bahá'í National Endowments in Persia

41,000,000 Túmáns

Area of land dedicated to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in 'Akká

257,000 sq. metres

Area of land dedicated to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in the district of Gaza

10,530 sq. metres

Area of land dedicated to the Shrines of Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb in the Jordan Valley

2,354,108 sq. metres

Area of land dedicated to the Shrine of the Báb on Mt Carmel

230,000 sq. metres

Area of land dedicated to the Shrine of the Báb on Mt Carmel and registered in the name of the Israel Branch of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States of America

362,838 sq. metres

Area of land dedicated to the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel and registered in the name of the Israel Branch of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles

1,240 sq. metres

+P31

Area of land dedicated to the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel and registered in the name of the Israel Branch of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Persia

4,000 sq. metres

Area of land dedicated to the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel and registered in the name of the Israel Branch of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia and New Zealand

2,523 sq. metres

Area of land dedicated to the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel and registered in the name of the Israel Branch of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India, Pákistán and Burma

2,480 sq. metres

Value of land associated with Bahá'u'lláh's exile in Istanbul, Turkey

$12,915.00

Value of Canadian National Shrine

$49,500.00

PRINCIPAL BAHÁ'Í HISTORIC SITES IN PERSIA
OWNED BY THE BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY

House of the Báb in Shíráz and several adjoining houses.
Site of the Siyáh-Chál, Tihrán.
Ancestral Home of Bahá'u'lláh in Tákur, Mázindarán.
House of Bahá'u'lláh in Tihrán.
House owned by the Báb's maternal uncle in Shíráz.
Shop belonging to the Báb in Búshihr.
The Fortress and a quarter of the village of Chihríq in Ádhirbáyján.
House of Hájí Mírzá Jání in Káshán where the Báb stayed on His way to Tabríz.
House of Imám-Jum'ih in Isfahán.
Public Bath used by the Báb in Shíráz and some adjacent houses.
Half of the house owned by Vahíd in Nayríz.
Part of the house owned by Hujjat in Zanján.
The three gardens rented by Bahá'u'lláh in Badasht.
Burial-Place of Quddús in Bárfurúsh, Mázindarán.
House of Mahmúd Khán-i-Kalántar in Tihrán where Táhirih was confined.
Public Bath visited by the Báb when in Urúmíyyih, Ádhirbáyján.
House owned by Mírzá Husayn-'Alíy-i-Núr in Tihrán where the Báb's remains were concealed.
The Bábíyyih in Mashhad, Khurásán.
The house owned by Mulla Husayn in Mashhad, Khurásán.
The residence of the Sultánu'sh-Shuhadá (King of Martyrs) and of the Mahbúbu'sh-Shuhadá, (Beloved of Martyrs) in Isfahán.
Apartments occupied by the Báb in Urúmíyyih, Ádhirbáyján.
Spot where the heads of two hundred martyrs were buried in Ábádih, Fárs.
House where the Báb's remains were concealed in Qum.
Site of martyrdom and burial-place of the "Seven Martyrs" of 'Iráq in Sultán-Ábád, 'Iráq.
Caravansarai occupied by the Báb in Zanján.
Burial-place of Ashraf and his mother in Zanján.
House where the Báb's remains were concealed in Kirmánsháh.
Room occupied by Vahíd and other rooms in the Fort of Khájih in Nayríz.

+P32

Land adjoining the Fort of Khájih, site of the martyrdom of Vahíd and some of his companions.
Site of martyrdom and burial-place of the "Four Martyrs" of 'Iráq in Sultán-Ábád, 'Iráq.

ESTIMATED VALUE OF AMERICAN BAHÁ'Í PROPERTIES

Mashriqu'l-Adhkár

$ 4,151,900.00

Bahá'í Home for the Aged, Inc.

308,500.00

Hazíratu'l-Quds

211,700.00

Green Acre School

198,000.00

Wilhelm Property

93,500.00

Geyserville Property

71,500.00

Central States School

77,000.00

Wilson House

7,000.00

$5,119,100.00

SUCCESSIVE STAGES IN THE TRANSFER OF THE
REMAINS OF THE BÁB FROM PERSIA TO THE
HOLY LAND AND THE ERECTION OF HIS
MAUSOLEUM ON MOUNT CARMEL

Execution of the Báb in Tabríz and the exposure of His mangled body on the edge of the moat outside the city, July 9, 1850.

Wrapping of His remains in a cloak, their secret removal to the silk factory owned by one of the believers of Mílán and their deposition in a small wooden casket, July 11, 1850.

Transportation, in accordance with Bahá'u'lláh's instructions, of the casket to Tihrán and its concealment in the shrine of Imám-Zádih Hasan.

Removal of the remains to the home of Hájí Sulayman Khán and their subsequent transfer to the shrine of Imám-Zádih Ma'súm.

Instructions issued by Bahá'u'lláh, while in Adrianople, to Mullá-'Ali Akbar-i-Sháhrmírzádí and Jamál-i-Burújirdí, to transfer the casket to a safer hiding place, and its temporary concealment within a wall of the Masjid-i-Máshá'u'lláh outside the gates of the capital, 1867-1868.

Detection of the hiding place of the casket and its smuggling into Tihrán and its deposition in the house of Mírzá Hasan-i-Vazír, a believer and son-in-law of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid 'Alíy-i-Tafríshí, the Majdu'l-Ashráf.

Discovery of the hiding place by a number of believers and the consequent removal of the casket by Hájí Sháh Muhammad-i-Manshádí, surnamed Amínu'l-Bayán, in accordance with Bahá'u'lláh's instructions, to the shrine of Imám-Zádih Zayd, and its burial beneath the floor of the inner sanctuary, whence it was again removed to a series of private homes in Tihrán.

Bahá'u'lláh's visit to Mount Carmel, the revelation of the Tablet of Carmel, and the appointment by Him, in the presence of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, of the site to serve as the permanent burial-place for the remains of the Báb.

Despatch of Mírzá Asadu'lláh by 'Abdu'l-Bahá with specific instructions to transport the body of the Báb to the Holy Land, and the transfer of the remains to Isfahán, and thence, via Kirmánsháh, Baghdád and Damascus, to the Holy Land, arriving at their destination on January 31, 1899, fifty lunar years after the Báb's execution in Tabríz.

+P33

Purchase by 'Abdu'l-Bahá of the site designated by Bahá'u'lláh, and the construction of a marble sarcophagus by the Burmese believers in accordance with 'Abdu'l-Bahá's suggestion, designed to receive the body of the Báb.

Laying of the foundation-stone of the Shrine of the Báb by 'Abdu'l-Bahá with the participation of Ibráhím Khayru'lláh, while on his pilgrimage to 'Akká, following the establishment of the Faith in the United States of America, 1899.

Construction by 'Abdu'l-Bahá of six chambers constituting the initial stage in the erection of the Mausoleum of the Báb.

Downfall of Sultán 'Abdu'l-Hamíd II, whose Commission of Inquiry had visited the Shrine and was contemplating its destruction; the release of'Abdu'l-Bahá from His incarceration and the placing by Him of the wooden casket in the marble sarcophagus on the day coinciding with the inauguration of the first American Bahá'í Convention, March 21, 1909.

Purchase of extensive properties on the slope of Mt. Carmel in the immediate vicinity of the Shrine of the Báb and their permanent dedication to His memory.

Construction of three additional chambers marking the completion of the preliminary structure contemplated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá.

Opening of terraces stretching from the Shrine to the foot of Mount Carmel; the exemption by the British High Commissioner of the entire area dedicated to the Mausoleum of the Báb from taxation; the establishment of the Palestine Branches of the American and Indian National Spiritual Assemblies; and the subsequent transfer of a part of the dedicated properties to the name of these newly formed branches.

Entombment of the remains of the Purest Branch and of the mother, sister and wife of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the vicinity of the Shrine, as a prelude to the establishment of the World Administrative Centre of the Faith in that same neighbourhood.

Unveiling of the model designed by W. S. Maxwell for the superstructure of the Shrine, on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the Declaration of the Báb, in Haifa on May 23, 1944.

Placing of successive contracts for the masonry and ornamentation of the Arcade and Parapet of the Shrine, amounting to approximately eight hundred tons, and their transportation from Italy to Haifa.

Completion of the Arcade and Parapet of the Shrine on the occasion of the centenary of the Báb's martyrdom, July 9, 1950.

Completion of the Octagon of the Shrine, March, 1952.

Placing of a fragment of plaster from the ceiling of the Báb's prison cell in the Castle of Mah-Ku beneath the gilded tiles of the dome of the Shrine by Shoghi Effendi on the ninth day of Ridván, April 29, 1953.

Completion of the Shrine of the Báb, the greatest enterprise undertaken at the World Centre of the Faith, in October, 1953, the last month of the Holy Year commemorating the Centenary of the inauguration of Bahá'u'lláh's prophetic Mission.

During the period of the Ten Year Plan it is estimated the number of visitors to the Shrine and surrounding gardens exceeded 1,500,000.

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NAMES GIVEN BY 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ TO FIVE OF
THE DOORS OF THE SHRINE OF THE BAB
ON MT. CARMEL

1. Báb-i-Fadl

4. Báb-i-Ashraf

2. Báb-i-Amín

5. Báb-i-Karím

3. Báb-i-Bálá

NAMES OF THE FOUR DOORS ADDED SINCE THE PASSING
OF 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ
ON MT. CARMEL

6. Báb-i-Qassábchí

8. Báb-i-Giachery

7. Báb-i-Maxwell

9. Báb-i-Ioas

FATE OF THOSE WHO PERSECUTED THE BÁB,
WHO OPPOSED THE CONSTRUCTION OF
HIS SHRINE AND THREATENED ITS
DESTRUCTION

MUHAMMAD SHÁH, who disregarded the appeal of the Báb to meet Him in person and plead His Cause, sustained a sudden reverse of fortune, and succumbed, at the age of forty, to a complication of maladies.

NÁSIRI'D-DÍN SHÁH, during whose reign the Báb was executed, and under whose aegis the greatest massacre of the Bábís took place, was, in the plenitude of his power, dramatically assassinated on the eve of his jubilee. The Qájár dynasty, to which he belonged, was subsequently brought to an ignominious end.

HÁJÍ MÍRZÁ ÁQÁSÍ, the Grand Vazír of Muhammad Sháh and chief instigator of the outrages perpetrated against the Báb, was disgraced by his sovereign, lost his fortune, was expelled to Karbilá, and became a victim of disease and poverty.

MÍRZÁ TAQÍ KHÁN, the Amír Nizám, the Grand Vazír of Násiri'd-Dín Sháh who was directly responsible for the execution of the Báb, was disgraced and put to death by royal order in the bath of the Palace of Fín, near Káshán.

MÍRZÁ HASAN KHÁN, who carried out the execution of the Báb, was subjected, two years after, to a dreadful punishment which ended in his death.

MÍRZÁ 'ALI-ASGHAR, the Shaykhu'l-Islám of Tabríz, who inflicted the bastinado on the Báb with his own hand, was stricken, in that same year, with paralysis, and died a miserable death.

THE REGIMENT, which constituted the firing squad that executed the Báb, lost, in that same year, two hundred and fifty of its officers and men in an earthquake near Ardibíl, while the remaining five hundred were shot, two years later, in Tabríz, for mutiny. The head of the regiment, Áqá Ján Big, lost his life, six years after the Martyrdom of the Báb, during the bombardment of Muhammarih by the British.

THE SHÍ'IH SACERDOTAL ORDER, which violently opposed the Báb, aroused the populace and instigated the government against Him, was discredited, fell from power, and ceased to exercise its paramount influence on both the people and the government.

SULTÁN 'ÁBDU'L-HAMÍD II, who lent his support to the enemies of the Faith in their efforts to obstruct the construction of the Shrine of the Báb was deposed and

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made a prisoner of state. The Caliphate was subsequently abolished and the Sultanate ceased to exist.

THE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, who were appointed by 'Abdu'l-Hamíd to investigate the activities of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and who misrepresented the Shrine of the Báb as a fortress and vast ammunition depot on Mt. Carmel, suffered an ignominious fate, one being shot, another robbed of all his possessions, the third exiled, and the fourth sinking into abject poverty.

JAMÁL PÁSHÁ, the Turkish Commander-in-Chief, who threatened the destruction of the Holy Tomb, was defeated in battle, fled, and was slain while a refugee in the Caucasus.

MÍRZÁ MUHAMMAD-'ALÍ, the Arch-Breaker of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, who was the chief instigator of the enemies of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and exerted his utmost to obstruct the construction of the Shrine of the Báb, was stricken with paralysis, and lived to see every hope he had cherished dashed to the ground.

THE INVADING FORCES OF FIELD MARSHAL ROMMEL, whose threat to Alexandria constituted the gravest danger to the Holy Land, and whose victory would have precipitated the direst crisis in the fortunes of the Faith at its World Centre, and imperilled its institutions, was routed from the continent of Africa, and the peril of a régime inimical to the Faith removed forever.

THE ARAB COMMUNITY living in the neighbourhood of the Shrine of the Báb, which violated the sacredness of its precincts, in the course of the disturbances in the Holy Land, and supported the schemes of the ex-Muftí of Jerusalem, who had threatened to extirpate the Faith, fled in ignominy and joined the great army of refugees that was seeking shelter in the adjoining territories.

Total Cost of the structure of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette, Illinois (1921-1953)

$3,212,517.60

Height from floor of basement to culmination of the dome ribs

191 feet

Depth of caissons

120 feet

Diameter at the foundation floor

204 feet

Height of dome

49 feet

Outside diameter of dome

90 feet

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Number of sections of ornamentation comprising the dome and ribs

387

Perforation of dome surface

30%

Seating capacity of Auditorium

1,200

Number of Temple visitors from 1952-1962

1,003,253

Letter addressed by Bahá'ís of 'Ishqábád to the Bahá'ís of Chicago

1902

Petition addressed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá by the "House of Spirituality" of the Bahá'ís of Chicago appealing for permission to construct a Bahá'í Temple in America

March 1903

'Abdu'l-Bahá gives His approval through a Tablet dated

June 1903

Delegates of various American Bahá'í Assemblies meet in Chicago and choose a site for the Temple

November 1907

First two building lots purchased

April 1908

First American Bahá'í Convention established Bahá'í Temple Unity

March 1909

'Abdu'l-Bahá lays dedication stone of the Temple

May 1912

Purchase of Temple property completed

1914

Bahá'í Convention selects design of L. J. Bourgeois

April 20

Sinking of the nine caissons completed

1921

Completion of the superstructure

May 1931

Steps placed in position

December 1942

Completion of exterior ornamentation of Temple

1943

Completion of interior ornamentation

October 1952

Completion of Temple landscaping

April 1953

Dedication to public worship

May 2, 1953

PASSAGES INSCRIBED OVER THE NINE ENTRANCES
OF THE BAHÁ'Í TEMPLE, WILMETTE, ILL., U.S.A.

1. "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."
2. "The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me."
3. "My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure."
4. "Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner."
5. "Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent."
6. "I have made death a messenger of joy to thee; wherefore dost thou grieve."
7. "Make mention of Me on My earth, that in My heaven, I may remember thee."
8. "O rich ones on earth! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust."
9. "The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory!"

PASSAGES INSCRIBED IN THE INTERIOR OF THE
BAHÁ'Í TEMPLE, WILMETTE, ILL., U.S.A.

1. "All the prophets of God proclaim the same faith."
2. "Religion is a radiant light and an impregnable stronghold."
3. "Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch."
4. "So powerful is unity's light that it can illumine the whole earth."
5. "Consort with the followers of all religions with friendliness."

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6. "O Son of Being! Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee."
7. "O Son of Being! Walk in My statutes for love of Me."
8. "Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home reunion with Me."
9. "The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun."

BAHÁ'Í FEASTS, ANNIVERSARIES AND DAYS
OF FASTING

1. Feast of Ridván (Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh)
2. Declaration of the Báb
3. Feast of Naw-Rúz (New Year)
4. Birth of Bahá'u'lláh
5. Birth of the Báb
6. Birth of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
7. The Day of the Covenant
8. Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh
9. Martyrdom of the Báb
10. Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá

April 21–May 2, 1863
May 23, 1844
March 21
November 12, 1817
October 20, 1819
May 23, 1844
November 26
May 29, 1892
July 9, 1850
November 28, 1921

Fasting season lasts 19 days, beginning with the first of the month of 'Alá', March 2; the Feast of Naw-Rúz follows immediately after.

BAHÁ'Í HOLY DAYS ON WHICH WORK
SHOULD BE SUSPENDED

1. The first day of Ridván
2. The ninth day of Ridván
3. The twelfth day of Ridván
4. The anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb
5. The anniversary of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh
6. The anniversary of the Birth of the Báb
7. The anniversary of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh
8. The anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb
9. The Feast of Naw-Rúz

CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
RELATED TO BAHÁ'U'LLÁH'S HISTORIC
PRONOUNCEMENT IN HIS SÚRIY-I-MULÚK IN 1868

Fall of the French Monarchy (1870)
Virtual Extinction of the Pope's Temporal Sovereignty (1870)
Assassination of Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz (1876)
Assassination of Násiri'd-Dín Sháh (1896)
Overthrow of Sultan 'Abdu'l-Hamíd II (1909)
Fall of the Portuguese Monarchy (1910)
Fall of the Chinese Monarchy (1916)
Fall of the Russian Monarchy (1917)
Fall of the German Monarchy (1918)
Fall of the Austrian Monarchy (1918)
Fall of the Hungarian Monarchy (1918)
Fall of the Turkish Monarchy (1922)

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Collapse of the Caliphate (1924)
Fall of the Qájár Dynasty (1925)
Fall of the Spanish Monarchy (1931)
Fall of the Albanian Monarchy (1938)
Fall of the Serbian Monarchy (1941)
Fall of the Italian Monarchy (1946)
Fall of the Bulgarian Monarchy (1946)
Fall of the Rumanian Monarchy (1947)
Fall of the Egyptian Monarchy (1952)
Fall of the 'Iráqí Monarchy (1958)
Fall of the Yemenite Monarchy (1962)

Sojourn in the Najíbíyyih Garden, Baghdád: Bahá'u'lláh spent twelve days in this garden on the shores of the river Tigris, commencing with His departure from His home on April 22, 1863 (Dhíl-Qa'dih 3, 1279 A.H.). This period is known as the Ridván Festival, the greatest of all Bahá'í celebrations, and that garden has been called by Him, in commemoration of His Declaration there, the "Garden ofRidván." Departure from the Garden of Ridván May 3, 1863. (Dhí'l-Qa'dih 14, 1279 A.H.)

JOURNEY FROM BAGHDÁD TO CONSTANTINOPLE:

Arrival in Firayját (about three miles from Baghdád), May 3, 1863. (Dhí'l-Qa'dih 14, 1279 A.H.)